What Sandy Springs Is Considering for the Next 20 Years
Were you there? Are your ideas being considered? The August Comprehensive Plan meetings gave Sandy Springs residents a closer look at the choices that could shape the city’s next 20 years.
At public meetings on August 17 and 20, the City asked residents to move beyond broad questions about what they value and consider possible approaches to some of the issues that will shape Sandy Springs in the years ahead.
Housing and affordability, walkability, tree canopy and river access were at the center of the discussion.
These are not final recommendations. The City is moving into its planning stage for the next 20 years and is still gathering input as it develops both plans.
Earlier public input identified several recurring priorities, including neighborhood character, walkability, affordability, housing options, tree canopy, balanced growth, connectivity and parks and green space.
The August meetings moved the conversation from broad priorities to specific choices.
Residents were asked to consider how Sandy Springs might respond to four major topics: housing and affordability, walkability, tree canopy and river access.
The activities were designed to gather feedback that the planning team can use as it develops recommendations.
That distinction matters. Residents were asked to react to ideas and possible approaches. The meetings did not adopt new policies, change zoning or approve individual projects.
Housing and affordability
Housing has been one of the most consistent issues throughout the planning process.
The City's presentation says residents are looking for housing that better meets the needs of people at different stages of life and that Sandy Springs needs more housing types and price points.
That can mean different things for different residents.
A young family may be looking for their first home in Sandy Springs. A longtime resident may want to downsize without leaving the community. A teacher, healthcare worker or other local employee may want to live closer to work. A renter may want more choices if they decide to buy a home.
At the August meetings, the City asked residents to consider several possible approaches.
"Missing middle" housing generally refers to homes that are priced for middle-income workers. In Sandy Springs that can mean incomes above $120K. Examples can include cottages, duplexes, quadplexes and other smaller-scale housing types. The City asked residents to consider whether these types of homes could provide more options in Sandy Springs and where they might make sense.
The City also presented conservation subdivisions as a possible approach. This type of development clusters homes on a smaller portion of a property while preserving more of the remaining land as shared open space. The idea raises questions about how Sandy Springs can accommodate future housing while protecting natural areas and the character residents value.
Another option presented by the City would require a portion of homes in some new multi-unit developments to be affordable to households at specified income levels. The meeting materials discussed a possible 10 percent requirement tied to 80 percent of area median income. This is one of the more specific housing policy ideas now being discussed, but it remains a proposal under consideration.
Residents were also asked to consider accessory dwelling units, often called ADUs. An ADU is a smaller home located on the same property as a primary residence. It can provide space for an aging parent, an adult child, a caregiver or a renter. The City presented preapproved ADU designs as one possible way to make this housing option easier to pursue.
Together, these ideas show that the housing conversation is becoming more concrete. The question is increasingly focused on what kinds of housing choices Sandy Springs should offer and where different approaches may be appropriate.
Walkability
Walkability was another major focus of the August meetings.
Residents were asked to think about sidewalk gaps, pedestrian connections, crossings and other ways to make it easier to travel between neighborhoods and destinations without relying entirely on a car.
These issues affect residents differently depending on where they live. For someone who drives almost everywhere, a missing sidewalk may be an inconvenience. For someone walking to transit, work, school or a nearby business, it can determine whether a trip feels practical or safe.
The Comprehensive Plan gives the City an opportunity to identify where better pedestrian connections should fit into its long-term priorities.
Trees and natural areas
Sandy Springs' trees are an important part of the community's character.
The August activities asked residents to consider how the City should protect existing tree canopy and add trees as redevelopment and new investment continue.
That discussion connects several planning goals. Residents want strong neighborhoods and protected natural spaces. The City also needs room for housing, transportation improvements, businesses and public infrastructure. The planning process will have to consider how those priorities work together.
River access
The Chattahoochee River is one of Sandy Springs' greatest natural assets, but access to it is not equally easy from every part of the City.
Residents were asked to consider possible improvements including trails, walking and biking connections, river access points, recreation opportunities, parking and wayfinding.
The Recreation & Parks Master Plan will play an important role in determining which ideas eventually move forward.
Why this matters
Sandy Springs is a community people want to call home. Planning for its future means thinking about how people can continue to live here at different stages of life, how residents move around the City, how neighborhoods grow and how we protect the places that make Sandy Springs special.
These questions affect homeowners and renters. They affect younger families and longtime residents. They affect people who drive everywhere and people who depend on walking, transit or other ways of getting around.
The Comprehensive Plan will be stronger when those different experiences are part of the conversation.
The August meetings are over, but the opportunity to participate is not.
What happens next
The August meetings were one step in a much longer process. The planning team will continue reviewing feedback and developing goals, policies and recommendations. Draft materials will come later, along with additional opportunities for residents to review them and comment.
Residents who missed the August meetings can still participate. The City has posted online engagement activities that continue the same conversation and allow residents to weigh in on the issues now being considered.
Continue the conversation with the City: planthenextchapter.org/engage
Sandy Springs Together will also continue following the process and helping residents understand what changes as recommendations take shape.